Improvement in masts of vessels



waited tant attent (emite.

EDGAR E. HOLLEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN MASTS OF VESSELS.

The Schedule referred to in theseLettere Patent and making part of the same.v

To alll lfhom ttf/mty concern Be it known that.. I, EDGAR E. HOLLEY, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful improvement in the Rig and Masts of Vessels; and I dovhereby declare the following to be a full, clear and exact description thereof, which will enable thoseskilled in the art to make and use the same, reference vbeing had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, in which drawing- Figure 1 represents a transverse section ot' a vessel, with a rig and mast constructed according to this Sinventiou.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section of the same.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts. Y

This invention consists in the arrangement of elas-l tic or yielding shrouds, in combination with a niast which is 'apable of being oscillated in its socket in such a manner that in sailing on the wind, said mast is allowed to assume an inclined position, and the vessel can be sailed'as close to the wind as possible'without subjecting the same to an umlueestrain, and withont the least danger ofl upsetting the vessel.

The invention consists, further, in the arrangement of a saddle or clamp, operated by set-screws or other equivalent means, in combination with the movable or swinging mast in such a manner that, in sailingbcforc the wind, said 'mast can be rmly retained in an upright position...

In the drawingrlhe letter A designates arnast of my vessel,'which, instead of being firmly secured in the keel and deck, is connected to the keel B by-a hinge-joint, and is held in position by the shroudsjl The inner ends oi' these shrouds are secured to plates g, which bear against springs t, and are guided by rods li, so that the shrouds are capable of yielding, and that in sailing on the. wind the mast is allowed to assume an inclined position, and the vessel can be sailed as close to the wind as possible without subjecting the same to an undue strain, and without the least danger of upsetting the vessel, since the bag of the mainsal will touch the water before the waterca'n.

rise on the deck.

The shrouds, being yielding', allow the mast to give, or to assume an inclined position under the pressure of the wind, and if a sudden gust of wind strikes the vessel, which would be liable to upset avessel of the ordinary construction, my mast will yield sufficiently "to allow the wind to blow over it without endangering the stability of the vessel.

The inner ends of the rods which form the guides f u' the spring-plates o t' my yielding shrouds, are attached to timbers B', rising from the keel B to the deck D of the vessel, but said rods may' also be connected directly to the keel.

of the vessel is relieved as much as possiblev from all strain produced by the action of the wind on the mast, Aor ou the sails attached to said mast.

The shrouds fare made continuous, being attached In either case the hullrlhe hinge-joint which unites the mast wth :the

keel is constructed as follows:

To the bottom end of the mast is secured a. metal.

licfoot-pieee, an, which rests upon the convex surface ofthe flanged block at, and is provided. with cars overlapping the ends ot' said block.

The ila-ng'es ot' the block n straddle the keel of the -Y vessel, and are secured to the same by screw-bolts, and a pivot, o, connects the ibot-piece m with the block n.

By these means a iii-m connection between the mast and the keel is effected, and still the mast isallowed to osoillate in the direction -transversely to t-he keel.v In sailngbet'ore the wind,'the mast must be secured and steadied in an upright position. This purpose I l effect by means of a saddle, C, which straddlcs the mast close above the deck, and which slides in suitable guides, D', in a transverse direction.

These guides also contain two movable stops, E, one on either side of the saddle, and said` stops are .provided with toothed racks, which gear into pinions 1) mounted on shafts q, which can be rotated by lhandwheels r.

By turning these hand-wheels in" the proper direcs tion, the stops Eare brought up aga-inst the. saddle C, and the mast is retained in an upright position.

'lhe shafts q may be prevented from turning backl ward by ratchet-wheels and stop-pawls, or by any other suitable means, and it desired, said shafts with their pinions and racks can be replaced by other snit-- able mechanism capable of imparting to the stops E the requiredniotion, and of retainingthem in position, such, for instance, as simple set-screws.

vSaid stops may also be so adjusted that they confine the oscillations of the mast within certain limits. VWhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by LettersjPatent, ils g 1. The elastic or yielding shrouds f in combination with the oscillating mast A, substantially as described.

2. The plates'g, guide-rods i, and springs h in combination with the shrouds f, substantially as set fotrh.

3. The footpiece m and convexblock' n in combination with the mast A and keel B, substantially as described.

4. The saddle C and movable stops E in combination with the oscillating mast A, substantially as set forth.

EDGAR E. HOLLEY.

Witnesses:

W. IIAUFF, E. F. KASTENHUBER. 

